It's time for Criminal Reform

we hear all about police reform. Cops need to not shoot brown men. I can get behind that. I don't want to see anyone killed.
In that light, I think it's time for the brown community as a whole to take a good deep look at what makes these horrible things happen.
If you have a weapon in your hand, and the police tell you to drop the weapon, you have two choices at that moment.
1. drop the weapon and comply
2. get shot

I wish it were more complicated to ease the pain of these shootings but it really isn't.

If you want to live to love another day, you have to stop being idiots. You have to understand reality. the alternative is that police will not come to any call where brown men are acting violent. They can just stay at the precinct and wait for the bodies to arrive at the morgue.

I'm not trying to single out brown men here, but that does seem to be the top demographic that has issues with being killed by the police. fair skinned men have also not complied and been shot, but their deaths don't cause any extemporaneous violence.

So please, make this a thing, like a public awareness campaign of sorts. Inform all those who would be on the receiving end of a cops weapon. When the police say "drop the weapon", just drop the weapon. If something bad happens after that, everyone has a right to be upset and demand change.

a reply to: network dude

So you’re looking for logic and reasoning, huh?

Good luck with that. 2020 has been a road map for stupidity.

On these same lines, I just ordered two T-shirts online.

First: “THINK, It’s not illegal yet”

Second: “1984 was NOT supposed to be an instruction manual”

originally posted by: network dude
Inform all those who would be on the receiving end of a cops weapon. When the police say "drop the weapon", just drop the weapon. If something bad happens after that, everyone has a right to be upset and demand change.

How do we handle the people with mental illnesses who end up with knives, screwdrivers and such who aren't really processing that order? I think sometimes the police go too frequently to flatblast mode instead of non-lethal methods. There needs to be better training to handle the people with obvious mental issues, particularly when they get a call about someone with mental issues and end up killing them.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Mental issues?

Hell, I have mental issues but I know right from wrong.

Before we bemoan the fate of the gentleman in question, perhaps we should ascertain what his "mental issues" actually were.

I have an irrational fear of dentists. Literally. PSTD-type fear. They won't work on my teeth because my blood pressure goes dangerous.

I have a standing order for triazolam whenever I go. (Just took one for my 11 o'clock appointment)

That's a "mental issue".

a reply to: DBCowboy

And I agree the police should shoot you.


In the teeth.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

And someone needs to handle the police with mental issues, too.

originally posted by: Atsbhct
And someone needs to handle the police with mental issues, too.

Do you think my solution for DBChompers will work there too?

a reply to: network dude

I'm pretty quick to call out what I consider excess force by police... but this is pretty basic. I think everyone -- probably starting in school -- should be instructed on the proper reaction to being stopped by police. What you should do and what you should not do. Make them understand what the officer is thinking and the factors he must consider and his obligations to the public (and him/herself). Help them understand how to avoid creating additional concerns for the officer, and how to alleviate concerns for the officer.

I was "watching" the last debate with my sister and nieces... by "watching" I mean we were all in different states watching alone and texting each other. When Biden made the comment that White people don't have to worry about "the talk," or putting their hands up and in view of the officer, etc., my nieces pointed out their mom gave them that talk... and my sister pointed out our dad gave us that talk... and I pointed out I gave my kids that talk!

When everyone is on the same page, misunderstandings and miscommunications are far less likely.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: network dude
Inform all those who would be on the receiving end of a cops weapon. When the police say "drop the weapon", just drop the weapon. If something bad happens after that, everyone has a right to be upset and demand change.

How do we handle the people with mental illnesses who end up with knives, screwdrivers and such who aren't really processing that order? I think sometimes the police go too frequently to flatblast mode instead of non-lethal methods. There needs to be better training to handle the people with obvious mental issues, particularly when they get a call about someone with mental issues and end up killing them.

Its simple, if you go at somebody else with a weapon, you are clearly #ed up.

In which case you will drop the weapon.

One way, or the other.

Nobody's psychic, they dont know what your problem is, they just know a problem when they see one.

If you dont want problems, dont make problems.

a reply to: Notoneofyou

It's interesting to me how the British don't end up killing every mentally ill person with a knife.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Ya gotta shoot who you gotta shoot. It's the American way.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

I do not know how they handle their mentally ill in Britain, but i am certain we do them a disservice here in the US.

Prison is not a therapeutic environment for people who are struggling. And wars absolutely do not promote the health of our citizens.

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
I do not know how they handle their mentally ill in Britain, but i am certain we do them a disservice here in the US.

Prison is not a therapeutic environment for people who are struggling. And wars absolutely do not promote the health of our citizens.

You and I see eye to eye on this, there is some happy medium between shoot to kill and non-lethal methods.

I'm a black male. My dad was a cop. I got the talk.

It was real simple. I was taught that if a cop ever pulled me over for any reason whatsoever, I was to say Yes, sir. No, sir. Nothing else. My dad basically drummed into my head that to simply STFU regardless if I may think the stop, ticket, or whatever was BS.

As he put it, arguing with a cop is not an argument you are going to win. Just STFU, take the ticket and deal with it after the fact. Trying to play Johnny Cochran on the side of the road with a cop is a fools errand.

a reply to: Edumakated

As a white guy i got the same talk from my parents. Both hands on the wheel. Yes sir, no sir, thank you sir.

it was not hard for me. In my school we were required to go through the same respect exercises with our teachers and coaches. It just seemed common sense.

I still say "yes sir" and "yes ma'am" to just about anyone I interact with. Its called being polite.

originally posted by: Edumakated
I'm a black male. My dad was a cop. I got the talk.

It was real simple. I was taught that if a cop ever pulled me over for any reason whatsoever, I was to say Yes, sir. No, sir. Nothing else. My dad basically drummed into my head that to simply STFU regardless if I may think the stop, ticket, or whatever was BS.

As he put it, arguing with a cop is not an argument you are going to win. Just STFU, take the ticket and deal with it after the fact. Trying to play Johnny Cochran on the side of the road with a cop is a fools errand.

(star for your post Edumakated)

I'm white. I've twice been pulled by nonwhite cops. I complied. no problems.

John Law is not qualified to conduct on-the-spot psychoanalysis. a person with a knife is a threat and must be dealt with, regardless of his/her mental status. the knife cuts the same whomever wields it.

I am a bit of a mut, I got the talk a few times as well. The first time I was like 5 years old. A cop rolled up along side us on the highway. I decided to give him the thumbs up for whatever reason, and he pulled us over. Apparently he mistaked my thumbs up for a flip the bird. That was the first time I learned cops are not our friend lol. I got the talk more serious from my parents the day I received my license. Pull over, roll down the window, hands on the steering wheel, until requested for my papers please. Reach nice and slow, yes sir/mam or no sir/mam answers only. Even though I always followed that I had an incident where I had a gun pointed at my face and cuffed once. I have only been pulled over twice in my life when I was driving, that gun in face incident was the first time. I don't like cops much, and that incident is a large part of why I choose to live in places with no police force.

If you are mentally ill and violent you should be met with force. They're more dangerous than ordinary violent people.

originally posted by: jjkenobi
If you are mentally ill and violent you should be met with force. They're more dangerous than ordinary violent people.

Not really. I spent 5 years working as an aid in a state mental hospital. The only 2 times I ran into patients that were actually dangerous was 1 guy who had nothing wrong with him but was hiding out from the law by playing crazy (he was booted out after the 72 hr hold) and a guy that had done a ton of PCP and meth. That last guy...the only patient that made me feel threatened in my time there.

The mentally ill tend to have problems with coordination and muscle tone due to the medications they take. Drug crazed...a different story.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Shoot them anyway, it shows our empathy and humanity.